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SFB TRR 294Strukturwandel des Eigentums

APPROPRIATE explores different dimensions of property, its political dynamics, social effects and ventures into thinking about alternatives to property. It brings together researchers from different disciplines, activists and policy-makers to discuss their insights and perspectives on a broad spectrum of topics, including the sharing economy, urban commons, housing, natural resources, reproductive medicine, bioeconomy. APPROPRIATE is the podcast of the Collaborative Research Centre “Structural Change of Property” of the Universities of Jena and Erfurt: SFB TRR 294/1–424638267. CC BY-SA, Song Paper Tiger’s Grip by Mid-Air Machine

  1. Looking Back at Eight Years of Municipalist Government in Barcelona: The movement-party Barcelona en Comú

    15/06/2025

    Looking Back at Eight Years of Municipalist Government in Barcelona: The movement-party Barcelona en Comú

    In this episode, we reflect on the rise, evolution, and legacy of Barcelona en Comú, the emblematic movement-party that governed the city of Barcelona from 2015 to 2023. Joined by long-time activist and former political advisor Elia Gran, as well as researchers Silke van Dyk and Luzie Gerstenhöfer (University of Jena), the conversation explores the key ambitions, successes, and tensions of this bold experiment in municipalist governance. The episode draws from the sociological research project „Public Politics and the Future of the Commons“ to unpack strategic shifts in areas like housing, municipalization of public services as well as social and economic policies. Together, the guests consider what can be learned from the Comuns’ experience, how the party related to social movements and class politics. Now that the Comuns are out of office, the time is ripe for a candid assessment beyond their frequent representation as a European lighthouse case for alternative local politics: What did the municipalist turn achieve—and where did it fall short? Tune in for a rich researcher-activist dialogue on the possibilities and pitfalls of transforming politics from the ground up. Links that our guests talked about during the episode: Repensem Barcelona and the Fundació Sentit Comú. This episode was produced in cooperation with the Urban Political Podcast.

    1h 25m
  2. In Conversation with Clara Salazar (The Urban Lives of Property Series IV)

    29/05/2024

    In Conversation with Clara Salazar (The Urban Lives of Property Series IV)

    In this inaugural Spanish-language episode of the Urban Lives of Property Series, Clara Salazar delves into the history and concept of the ejidos—collective forms of land ownership introduced by the Mexican Revolution in 1917. Following this, the state began redistributing land to impoverished farmers under the condition that they organize themselves into collectives. Ejidal land, which was typically rural land, could not be sold. The significance of the ejidos persists to this day, although this form of collective ownerships has been the subject of numerous struggles and controversies. In 1992, the rights to ejidal lands were liberalized to permit their sale. Concurrently, the rights associated with private property were strengthened, providing powerful private owners with nearly unmatched opportunities to manage and profit from their lands, leveraging surplus value through public infrastructure provision while offering minimal compensation in return. Meanwhile, self-managed settlements by poor urbanites dwelling informally on the outskirts of metropolises have increasingly encroached upon ejidal land, leading to a parceling of the land and a profound transformation of Mexican cities. Against this backdrop, Clara Salazar makes a compelling case for enhancing public capacities to regulate urban land and to capture surplus value—a challenge that many Latin American countries face, alongside the ongoing evolution of property forms that separate land and housing ownership. An English translation of the transcript is available for download. This episode is a collaboration with the Urban Political Podcast.

    1h 5m
  3. Residential Property, Couples, and New Logics of Inequality in the Asset Economy – A Conversation with Lisa Adkins

    18/07/2023

    Residential Property, Couples, and New Logics of Inequality in the Asset Economy – A Conversation with Lisa Adkins

    In this episode, Robin K. Saalfeld engages in an insightful conversation with Lisa Adkins, a noted Professor of Sociology at the University of Sydney. Their discussion traces the narrative of Adkins’s book, “The Asset Economy. Property Ownership and the New Logic of Inequality,” (2020) co-authored by Martijn Konings and Melinda Cooper. Their thought-provoking work charts the emergence of an asset economy marked by property inflation, a term used to describe the escalated rise in the value of housing assets. The unfolding of this phenomenon paves the way for a new perspective on inequality, primarily focusing on market-driven economies like Australia, the US, and Great Britain. The shift from traditional commodification to a more asset-centered approach, especially in the housing sector, forms a significant part of their narrative. The dialogue further expands as Robin K. Saalfeld introduces empirical data from the research project B06 exploring property inequality among German couples. Through extensive interviews with 50 German couples, the research highlights the crucial role residential property plays for couples. Robin K. Saalfeld and Lisa Adkins delve into the potential characteristics of an asset economy within the German population, raising pertinent questions about the interplay between gender and property ownership. This episode provides a nuanced exploration of the complex tapestry of property, economics, and couple and gender dynamics, contributing to an understanding of the evolving nature of inequality in market-centric societies.

    43 min

About

APPROPRIATE explores different dimensions of property, its political dynamics, social effects and ventures into thinking about alternatives to property. It brings together researchers from different disciplines, activists and policy-makers to discuss their insights and perspectives on a broad spectrum of topics, including the sharing economy, urban commons, housing, natural resources, reproductive medicine, bioeconomy. APPROPRIATE is the podcast of the Collaborative Research Centre “Structural Change of Property” of the Universities of Jena and Erfurt: SFB TRR 294/1–424638267. CC BY-SA, Song Paper Tiger’s Grip by Mid-Air Machine